Today I almost died.
I have been ill for the past few days, and was still feeling under the weather when I woke up this morning. For a few minutes, I debated myself on the topic “Shall I go to work today?”, and me #2 convinced me #1 that I needed to come to work and finish some things. What can I say? Me #2 is an excellent debater.
I was driving on the road #1, in the direction of Tel Aviv just like any other day. I don’t know exactly when it happened, but at some point, I lost focus. I can’t recall if it was when I coughed, or whether it was just a general lack of concentration, but all of a sudden I noticed a car in front of me, a car I was going to hit unless I took evasive action. I slammed on the brakes and found myself spinning out of control. I slammed into the rear left side of the car I had tried to avoid, causing it to careen into the barrier on the side of the road. I ended up also on the right hand side of the road, but facing oncoming traffic. Luckily I was on the shoulder of the road, now out of harm’s way, but what of the other driver?
I stumbled out of my car, put on my yellow vest, and noticed the other driver coming towards me. I immediately apologized, to which he told me not to worry. Things like this happen. I was amazed by his attitude, and lack of desire to kill me! After all, he had been totally minding his own business, and ended up almost killed because of me. Then I noticed another man limping towards us. It was a Chayal – Israeli soldier. The car I had hit had subsequently slammed into a van parked on the side of the road, which had then gone into its driver – the soldier – who was standing alongside it.
After taking down each other’s details, reporting the accident to police, and refusing medical attention (I am not sure why the soldier did not elect to go to the hospital immediately), the three of us stood by the road, waiting for the tow trucks to arrive. “What a nes (miracle)!” was repeatedly said during the course of our conversation. But at no time did the others blame me, nor display any anger towards me. In fact, the limping soldier – I hope his leg is not broken – offered me a chocolate. I told him “You should not be offering ME anything. In fact, I should be offering you my leg!”
I won’t bore you with the rest of the details. But I will say that the accident has taught me a number of important things:
1. I’m one lucky S.O.B. Baruch Hashem.
2. I knew that working as hard as I do, and driving such long distances every day, was taking its toll on me. Now I see it can take its toll on others.
3. My wife and I really need to move closer to my work.
4. I am really seeing a side to Israelis to which many have not been privy. The sensitive, caring side. And it makes me damn proud to be living here.
